Summary:

Session 9 elaborates metaphors to help Vedanta student “see” with added clarity, definitions of: Self, Dharma, Yoga, Ignorance and Māyā. It's purpose is to reconcile Jñāna Yoga (Self-Knowledge; for contemplative personalities) and Karma Yoga (for Active personalities), and why they're actually equally important for a Spiritual aspirant.

TOPICS COVERED:

1) Four Personality Types:

Physical > Emotional > Intellectual > Spiritual

A human being predominantly assumes one of the four personalities, depending upon his or her identification with that particular equipment.

(1) Physical being: Lives largely at the level of the sense organs. He is happy when the organs are ‘fed’ properly and sorrowful when they are ‘starved’. He is totally dependent upon the environment like any animal. Such a person has little capacity to experience any genuine and long lasting emotional joys or intellectual satisfaction.

(2) Emotional being: Has emotions and feelings, which are superior to sense gratification. A person dwelling in the realm of emotions easily sacrifices his physical needs since the mind thereby experiences a higher quality of joy and satisfaction. For example, a physical person gets satisfaction out of a sense object only when the sense organ actually contacts it whereas an emotional person finds greater satisfaction in giving the same sense object to someone whom he or she loves, even though he has the choice to physically enjoy the object.

(3) Intellectual being: The individual who possesses an intellectual ideal. Such a person will easily sacrifice physical and emotional needs for the sake of an ideal which he cherishes. By doing so, he enjoys a far superior state of contentment and joy than he would have gained by catering to the other two lower personalities. The lives of all revolutionaries, the joyous sufferings of the martyrs are all vivid examples.

(4) Spiritual being: This person has learnt the art of concentrating upon the God Principle within and without, even while he is acting in the world. Consequently, such a person remains relatively equanimous and peaceful while interacting amidst the changing world.

2) What is definition of Dharma?

The term Dharma is one of the most profound and multifaceted concepts in Hindu philosophy. It is derived from the Sanskrit root dhṛ, which means “to uphold,” “to sustain,” or “to support.“ This root meaning gives us a vital clue to understanding the essence of Dharma: it is that which upholds or sustains the inherent nature of anything, ensuring that all its parts and qualities come together to form a coherent whole.

In everyday language, Dharma is often translated as religious law, righteousness, morality, duty, or charity. While these translations capture certain aspects of Dharma, they don't fully convey its deeper, original meaning in Sanskrit. The most accurate way to describe Dharma is as the “Law of Being”—that which makes a thing or being what it is.

Understanding Dharma in Simple Terms

To grasp this concept, consider the following examples:

• • The Dharma of Fire: Fire's essential nature is to burn. This burning quality is what makes fire “fire.” Without this quality, fire would cease to exist as we know it.
  • The Dharma of the Sun: The sun's essential nature is to shine and provide warmth. If the sun were cold and dark, it would no longer fulfill its role as the sun.

In these examples, Dharma doesn't merely refer to moral goodness or righteousness; instead, it refers to the very essence of something—its true nature. And the essence of a thing happens to preserve it's own well-being, but also contributes well-being to everything else it's connected to.

Connecting Dharma with Morality, Universal Values, and Svadharma

Now, let's connect this understanding of Dharma with more familiar concepts such as morality, universal values, and svadharma (one's personal duty).

• • Morality and Universal Values: These are often seen as expressions of the Dharma of human beings. Just as burning is the Dharma of fire, certain moral principles—such as truth, compassion, and justice—are seen as part of the Dharma of humanity. These values uphold the essence of what it means to be fully human, allowing society to function harmoniously.
  • Svadharma (Personal Duty): Svadharma refers to the individual Dharma or duty that aligns with one's own nature, abilities, and role in life. Just as the sun must shine and fire must burn, each person has a unique Dharma to fulfill. Living in accordance with your svadharma means being true to your own nature and fulfilling your responsibilities in a way that is authentic to who you are.

Tying It All Together

Dharma, therefore, is not a one-size-fits-all concept. It is both universal and individual. Universal Dharma (samanya-dharma) refers to the common principles and values that sustain life and society, while svadharma is your personal Dharma, the unique path that sustains your own being. Both together create a life that is in harmony with the natural order of the universe.

In summary, Dharma is the fundamental law that makes a thing what it truly is. Whether it is the burning of fire, the shining of the sun, or the moral principles that guide human life, Dharma is that which upholds and sustains the essence of all things. Understanding and living in accordance with Dharma—both the universal and the personal—is the key to a meaningful and authentic life.

3) Define Real / Unreal

Unreal: That which was not in the past and which will not be in the future, but that which seemingly exists only in the present is called the ‘unreal'. (CH2 verse 16)

Real: that which defies all changes and remains the same in all the periods of time-past, present and future. (CH2 verse 16)

4) What are 2 definitions of Yoga?

samatvaṁ yoga ucyate: Evenness of mind is called Yoga (2.48)

yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam: Skill in action is Yoga (2.48). Refers to performing one's duties with equanimity, mindfulness, and detachment from the outcomes, aligning actions with one's dharma, and converting every action into a spiritual practice via Karma-Yoga.

5) How does Maya express itself in persons (Jiva) life?

At the mind level, māyā's veiling power (called āvaraṇa-ṣakti) expresses itself as a film of doubt and hesitation in reference to who I am. And maya's projecting-power (vikṣepa-sakti), makes the mind starts projecting what Self and world is. Mind concludes two ideas:  (2.52)  (a) the world of form is true, (b) that ‘I am nothing other than this flesh, thoughts, concerns, doubts.

6) What is symbolism of Arjuna & Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad Gītā?

Arjuna = jīva (sense of individuality, thinks “I am separate from everything and everyone else”)

Kṛṣṇa = pure Sattvic discriminative intellect.

Kauravas = distortion of dharma, otherwise called adharma (Immorality. The selfish, immature, childish side of human experience)

Pāṇḍavas = dharma (morality / virtue / doing what's right for your own and others well-being)

7) What is the ego? And what keeps it alive?

The Self (atma) reflected in the intellect (buddhi), produces experience of individuality (ego, ahamkara). 

What keeps the ego alive? 

1. Understanding Vāsanās

• • Vāsanās are the deep-seated inherent tendencies or inclinations within an individual. They are the impressions left by past actions and experiences, and they shape our desires, thoughts, and actions.
  • In the metaphor, vāsanās are compared to the wax in a candle. Just as wax is the substance that sustains the candle's flame, vāsanās are the underlying fuel that keeps the ego (sense of individuality) alive.

2. The Role of Vāsanās in Sustaining the Ego

• • The ego, or the sense of “I-ness,” is what gives rise to the idea of a separate, individual self. It is this ego that drives us to act in the world, seeking fulfillment, recognition, and satisfaction.
  • The wax (vāsanās) keeps the wick (the ego) erect, meaning that as long as vāsanās exist, the ego continues to operate, generating desires, thoughts, and actions.
  • Vāsanās > come out first in form of desire > producing corresponding thoughts in mind > leading to actions (at the physical level). These actions reinforce the vasanas, creating a cycle that sustains the ego.

8) Why is the Self ‘unknowable', and what does this mean?

The Self is described as ‘unknowable' (aprameya) as an object. But it's the very subject in whose presence objects are known. The term ‘unknowable' is only meant to express that it is not knowable through the usual organs of perception. (2.18). Video: 45:20-49:20

9) When has one ‘attained' Yoga?

When your intellect, though perplexed by what you have heard, shall stand immovable and steady in the Self; then you shall attain Self-Realization.

The mind gets agitated mainly due to the flooding in of the ever-new rush of stimuli from the outer world. Sense organs are the antennae through which the world's tickling signals creep in and disturb the mental-pool.

One is considered as having attained Yoga (in this context, yoga means moksha or liberation) only when one, even in the midst of enjoying sensuous pleasures, and even while the sense organs are letting in a flood of stimuli — does not get at all disturbed in one's inner serenity and equipoise. (2.53)

10) How does ignorance express itself (for Jiva)?

Ignorance (avidyā), when it functions in the intellect, expresses itself as desire for more to complete me (a small mortal individual).  Desires lead to actions, and actions lead to adding new karma-phala and reinforcing vasanas into your causal body.

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Download visual mind map of this session. Text used in class is from Holy Gītā.

26 June 2018